1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for distributing signals from a plurality of signal sources to an output device, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for coupling a selected one of a plurality of signal sources to a video display device in response to a remote control code associated with the selected signal source.
2. Related Art
Modern television sets often include a plurality of input connections to accept a variety of signal formats from various signal sources. One such format is the S-VHS format which splits a video signal into a luminance component ("Y") and a chrominance component ("C") to provide an overall higher video resolution display. In recent years many video devices that use the S-VHS format have become available, including, VCRs, camcorders, digital satellite receivers, and Digital Video Disc ("DVD") players
However, most television sets usually include a limited number of S-VHS input connections, usually one or two. The limited number of S-VHS input connections can be an annoying problem for a user who has a plurality of devices that provide S-VHS formatted signals. When the user wants to switch from one S-VHS source to another, the user may be required to manually ensure that the desired S-VHS source is connected to an S-VHS connection. In the case of a single S-VHS connection, the user may be required to manually disconnect any currently connected S-VHS source and connect the desired S-VHS source. As video input connections are often located on the back of a television set, having to connect and disconnect the various S-VHS signal sources to the S-VHS connections each time the user wishes to change S-VHS signal sources can be time consuming and burdensome.
One solution to the above-described problem is connecting the various S-VHS signal sources to the television set through a switching device. Such a switching device comprises a plurality of inputs, each input being coupled to a S-VHS signal source, and an output coupled to the S-VHS input connection on the television set. The user can then select the desired S-VHS source by controlling the switching device. Such a device offers the ease of connecting the S-VHS signal sources to a central device, which device can be controlled to select the S-VHS signal source to be coupled to the television set.
However, currently available S-VHS switching devices only allow the user to select the desired S-VHS signal source either by manually operating a set of switches disposed on the switching device or by using a dedicated remote control device associated with the switch device. A disadvantage of the dedicated remote control solution is that the dedicated remote control device will control only the S-VHS switching device, but not the S-VHS signal sources or the television set. This solution may be undesirable in terms of increasing remote control clutter because such a solution adds yet another remote control device that the user must learn to use and keep track of